Carl and Rick Grimes: Their Complicated Father/Son Relationship

Carl and Rick Grimes: Their Complicated Father/Son Relationship

The Reunion — Season 1, Episode 3: "Tell It To the Frogs"

The Reunion — Season 1, Episode 3: "Tell It To the Frogs"

It took three episodes for Rick and his family's stories to re-converge, but the reunion is glorious — especially considering how unlikely it was that Rick would be rescued by Glenn Rhee (Steven Yuen), who was in the same camp as Lori and ...

It took three episodes for Rick and his family's stories to re-converge, but the reunion is glorious — especially considering how unlikely it was that Rick would be rescued by Glenn Rhee (Steven Yuen), who was in the same camp as Lori and Carl.

Carl, then 12, had thought his father was dead, and his return made him seem nothing short of invincible. When Rick went back out into the fray to rescue Merle Dixon, Carl confidently comforted his mom about Rick's well-being. "Think about it, Mom," he said. "Everything that's happened to him so far — nothing's killed him yet."

Rick Gives Blood to Carl — Season 2, Episode 2: "Bloodletting"

Rick Gives Blood to Carl — Season 2, Episode 2: "Bloodletting"

After Otis accidentally shoots Carl, Rick rushes him to a nearby farmhouse — which is how we first met Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson).

Carl wasn't totally involved in the blood transfusion moments, as he was kind of in a ...

After Otis accidentally shoots Carl, Rick rushes him to a nearby farmhouse — which is how we first met Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson).

Carl wasn't totally involved in the blood transfusion moments, as he was kind of in and out from blood loss. But Rick had some serious fatherhood moments during this episode as he provided blood multiple times for his wounded son, mostly blaming himself for allowing Carl to come along on the search for Sophia. There's no question that Carl's brush with death early on still colors the pair's relationship in Season 4.

Coming of age — and parenting! — in the apocalypse is tough business. The talks totally change! Before, parents had to worry about the birds and the bees, and now, it's death and being really tired.

After Carl confe ...

Coming of age — and parenting! — in the apocalypse is tough business. The talks totally change! Before, parents had to worry about the birds and the bees, and now, it's death and being really tired.

After Carl confesses to Shane that he'd stolen a gun, Shane gave Rick the heads-up — which leads to Rick giving Carl back the gun, with maybe the most sympathetic fatherly speech ever. "No more kids stuff. I wish you could have the childhood I had, but that's not going to happen," he told Carl. "People are gonna die. I'm gonna die. Mom. There's no way you can ever be ready for it. I try to be, but I can't. The best we can do now is avoid it as long we can. Keep one step ahead. I wish I had something better to say, something more profound. My father was good like that. But I'm tired, son. Please, take it."

Lori Dies — Season 3, Episode 4: "Killer Within"

Lori Dies — Season 3, Episode 4: "Killer Within"

Carl and Rick didn't say a whole lot to each other after Lori died giving birth to baby Judith — and didn't for a while after. But that moment of realizing they were alone, with Rick crying and Carl trying not to, was a tear-jerker....

Carl and Rick didn't say a whole lot to each other after Lori died giving birth to baby Judith — and didn't for a while after. But that moment of realizing they were alone, with Rick crying and Carl trying not to, was a tear-jerker.

Of course, things went downhill after that, with the Ricktator having all those hallucinations and such. But that first moment was definitely a shared one.

Carl Is the One Who Real-Talks — Season 3, Episode 11: "I Ain't a Judas"

Carl Is the One Who Real-Talks — Season 3, Episode 11: "I Ain't a Judas"

Rick is obviously super overwhelmed as the grief-ridden Ricktator at this point, and Carl can sense it. In a surprisingly mature moment for Carl, he tells his dad to take a much-needed break from being a leader: "You deserve a rest." ...

Rick is obviously super overwhelmed as the grief-ridden Ricktator at this point, and Carl can sense it. In a surprisingly mature moment for Carl, he tells his dad to take a much-needed break from being a leader: "You deserve a rest."

At first, Rick didn't take this so well — "you should quit telling me what to do" — but eventually he took it to heart, acknowledging Carl's burgeoning adulthood by saying "he's ready" to go on a run with him, which starts the little field trip in the next episode, "Clear." This is one of their last positive moments for a while, but it was definitely a moment of growth for both of them.

Carl Gets His Gun Back — Season 4, Episode 2: "Infected"

Carl Gets His Gun Back — Season 4, Episode 2: "Infected"

Carl instinctively grabs a rifle and shoots a Walker off Michonne, and after his and Carl's little bonding sesh, Rick isn't even mad — and Carl is honest about his feelings.

The pair have kind of a moment of clarity abou ...

Carl instinctively grabs a rifle and shoots a Walker off Michonne, and after his and Carl's little bonding sesh, Rick isn't even mad — and Carl is honest about his feelings.

The pair have kind of a moment of clarity about their situation and how drastically the the world has changed since the Turn, and Rick realizes that it's time to give Carl his gun back — the one he'd confiscated after Carl shot a boy at the end of Season 3.

Farmer Rick and Lil Carl — Season 4, Episode 2: "Infected"

Farmer Rick and Lil Carl — Season 4, Episode 2: "Infected"

A lot of healing has happened between Rick and Carl between Seasons 3 and 4, maybe because other kids are living at the Prison, maybe because Farmer Rick has replaced the Ricktator. The pair share a moment built on all the tension of the past fe ...

A lot of healing has happened between Rick and Carl between Seasons 3 and 4, maybe because other kids are living at the Prison, maybe because Farmer Rick has replaced the Ricktator. The pair share a moment built on all the tension of the past few years after Carl gets eager to help the fence cleaners: Carl is working on living a normal life, and Rick is proud.

So Long, Farmer Grimes — Season 4, Episode 5: "Internment"

So Long, Farmer Grimes — Season 4, Episode 5: "Internment"

So much for Rick keeping Carl from "it," eh? It's dark out, and Rick's trying to fight oncoming Walkers on his own. The pair bond as peers for perhaps the first time, as Carl comes to Rick's rescue to start shooting up walkers.

...

So much for Rick keeping Carl from "it," eh? It's dark out, and Rick's trying to fight oncoming Walkers on his own. The pair bond as peers for perhaps the first time, as Carl comes to Rick's rescue to start shooting up walkers.

Later, they go sit in the garden and eat peas together — like a normal father/son duo, only with walkers visible in the background. We take these moments when we can get 'em in the apocalypse, right?

Just the Two of Us — Season 4, Episode 8: "Too Far Gone"

Just the Two of Us — Season 4, Episode 8: "Too Far Gone"

Carl and Rick have bonded so much more since Lori died in Season 3 that when they both suspect baby Judith to be dead during the aftermath of the Governor's attack on the prison, Carl's the one that cries — and in Rick's arms. It's a really sa ...

Carl and Rick have bonded so much more since Lori died in Season 3 that when they both suspect baby Judith to be dead during the aftermath of the Governor's attack on the prison, Carl's the one that cries — and in Rick's arms. It's a really sad moment, but touching because of these two men setting out on their own.

Carl Doesn't Want to Be Alone — Season 4, Episode 9: "After"

Carl Doesn't Want to Be Alone — Season 4, Episode 9: "After"

Rick got pretty beat up in his fight with the Governor, so after Carl and Rick homestead in an abandoned house, Rick falls unconscious — leading Carl on a little solo journey through the neighborhood and his own head.

Rick got pretty beat up in his fight with the Governor, so after Carl and Rick homestead in an abandoned house, Rick falls unconscious — leading Carl on a little solo journey through the neighborhood and his own head.

Carl vents frustration to Rick while he's unconscious for not protecting Lori, or Shane, or Judith, but after trying to fight it out on his own without Rick, he realizes he's not ready to be without his dad. For a minute, Carl thinks his dad is dead and reanimated, but can't kill him, and resigns himself to getting bitten by a zombie Rick — which makes the moment when Rick actually regains consciousness that much more precious.

“Carl,” says a half-conscious Rick, “Don’t go outside. Stay safe.” Just this delirious moment of his dad being a dad is all Carl needs, and they go on to talk about what Carl got up to while Rick was out — including eating 112 ounces of pudding.

The Walking Dead’s Rick and Carl Grimes — Their Best Father/Son Moments

The relationship between a father and son is complicated enough in our cushy, pre-apocalyptic world — but imagine trying to be a parent, or an adolescent, with hordes of zombies wandering around.

Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) have an understandably complicated relationship, especially over the past four years or so, surrounded by walkers and fighting for survival. They've endured the death of Carl's mom, Lori Grimes, ;and the disappearance of baby sister Judith, and while the losses have driven them apart at times, in Season 4B they finally seem to have developed an inseparable bond — which leads to some of the saddest, most frustrating, most poignant, and sometimes even the happiest moments in the series.

Not only is Carl learning who he is and what he wants to grow up to be, the prospect of growing up at all is constantly crumbling around him. What's a dad to do? Click through the gallery for Carl and Rick's best moments, for better or for worse.